Frank Lampard hails this England as ‘best I’ve ever played in’

Frank Lampard believes the current England side is the best he has ever played in and failure at the last World Cup will inspire the players to win the trophy in South Africa next summer.

Fabio Capello's team booked their place in the finals with two games to spare with an impressive 5-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley.

Lampard claims England will now use their quarter-final defeat by Portugal on penalties in 2006 as their motivation to win football's biggest prize.

He said: "I think with the way we are playing it probably is the best England team I have been involved with. I have never been in an England team that have won so many qualifying games and done it so well. I have been in good teams before but the way we are playing at the moment is brilliant.

"I am enjoying my football again for England and I am playing in a team that's got such work rate and quality in it I just want to keep enjoying it and keep going.

"Hopefully we will make a bigger impact in the World Cup than last time. It was disappointing to get knocked out at the stage we did. Hopefully we'll be helped by that experience of being there."

Lampard and Steven Gerrard both scored twice, with Wayne Rooney adding a fifth, but it was the display of Aaron Lennon that really caught the eye, and Lampard added: "Aaron is a fantastic player. He can be as good as he wants to be, he can be a world-beater."

Skipper John Terry agrees and insisted Lennon will play a big part in England's bid to win the World Cup.

He added: "Aaron played his way into the World Cup squad with that display. He was given a chance to make an impact and he certainly did that. He was man of the match as well and that has given him a great boost."

Lennon admitted he is in the best form of his career and hopes it will be enough to book him a place in Capello's final squad.

"I've continued on from last season. A lot of it is down to fitness and working hard. I've started that and hopefully I can continue it.

I don't know if I'm in pole position to play on the right now. I'm not going to say it's my position because there are so many other players who can play there.

"I'm trying to mix my game up, that's the thing I've been improving. As I've got older I've played more games, I've got more consistent and it came off for me.

"It was only my second start for England and I didn't know the team until quite late. But I prepared for it like any other game."

The only sour note of the evening came after the final whistle when Terry claimed he was spat at by Croatia substitute Ivan Klasnic.

Terry complained to Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco at the end of the game over the Bolton striker's behaviour but the England skipper insisted it wouldn't spoil his joy at leading the side to the World Cup finals.

He said: "Their No 17 spat at me. It's not a nice reaction. He came on frustrated but it's not nice at all. He's the first person who has ever spat at me in my career."